Sheet-metal box.



- A. B. GONSER. SHEET METAL BOX. APPLICATION FILED AUG. 5. 1908.

Patented Mar. 23, 1909.

UNITED err-firs orrrcn necsrus s. a or "c earer,

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ee me BQX- Specification of .iietters Patent.

Patented March 23, 1909.

Application filed August 5, 1908. Serial No. 447,051.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Aueusrus B. GoNsEn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Can ton, inthe county of Stark and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful 'Improvements in Sheet-Metal Boxes, of which and rear end of the box, and a lid part, usually the forward portion, which is hinged at its rear end edge to the forward free edge of the fixed part of the cover; Suchboxes are usually intended and adapted to be entered into pigeonholes or other suitable receptacles shaped to neatly receivethe individualboxes and therefore it is desirable that when'the lid is closed it should lieflatand flush with the fixed part of the cover. It is also desirable that the lid should be so hinged as to fold over and lie flat on the fixed portion of the cover, and for this operation it' is desirable that the adj acentedges of the fixed and the lid parts of the cover shall be shaped smooth and straight and without any angles or recesses therein, and that they shall not rub against each other to abrade or deface the enamel-with'whichthe boxes are usually finished. These important objects of the .invention are accomplished by forming bearing barrels on the adjacent edges of the fixed cover and the lid, in which bearings are journaled two parallel pintles, the ends of which are connected together byU-shaped yokes,

which yokes are bent or deflected to one side so that the edges of the respective fixed cover and the lid on each side of the bearing bar rels are adapted to enter between the arms of the yokes when the lid is open and rotated backward; and a tongueis provided on the lid which is adapted to operate under the barrel of the fixed cover to draw the hinged end of the lid downward to the plane ofthe fixed cover when-the lid is rotated'forward' and closed.

A further object of'the invention is to make a one-piece lid with suitable stiffening angles or ribson its inner side by. folding over and suitably shaping "the edges of' the sheet which forms the body of the lid, and an ac companying feature of the improvement consists in formingfthebearing barrel of the lid out of the same portion thereof which is jbentover tostiffen the hinged end of the lid.

The various features of the invention,

'which are thus set forth in general terms, are

illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming part hereof, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of the box showing the'lid open and rotated backward; Fig. 2 a longitudinal-vertical section of the box showing the lid closed; Fig. 3, a fragmentary perspective view showing the nor maloperation of the hinge when the lid is being opened; Fig. 4, a fragmentary perspective view showing the normal operation of the hinge when the lid is being closed; Fig. '5, a transverse section of the lid on line 55,

Fig. ,2; and Fig. 6," a, detached perspective view of the parallel pintles.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the drawings.

The. bottom '1, the sides 2 and the ends 3 of the box are formed of sheet metal, and the fixed rear part 4 of the cover is formed or secured on the sides and rear end thereof, in

any well-known manner. The middle portion 5 of the forward free end of the fixed and thence upward to form the bearing barrel 10, and thence directly forward along the body of the lid, and thence again downward and forward and upward to form the transverse stiffening rib 11 adjacent to the hingedend of the lid.

The side portions 12 and the free-end portion 13 of the sheets out of which the lid is to be formed are also extended beyond the 1 proposed edges of the'lid, and these extended portions are first bent inward along the under side of the body of the lid and thence downward and forward and upward to form the longitudinal side stiffening ribs 14 and the free-end transverse stiffening rib 15 of the lid. By this method of construction, it is only necessary to solder the miter joints 16 formed by the junction of the folded-over portions of the lid sheet in order to make a substantial and thoroughly stiffened lid out of a single sheet; and at the same time the number of operations required to shape, form, assemble and connect together the parts of the lid when separately made is greatly reduced, and the remaining operations are materially simplified.

The parallel pintles l7 and 18 are journaled respectively in the bearing barrels 7 of the fixed part and 10 of the lid of the cover, and these pintles are'connected together at each end by the U-shaped yokes 19 which yokes are formed or bent inward at right angles to the plane of the pintles; and the tongue 20 which, as shown, is in the form of a U-shaped wire loop, is formed or attached to the hinged end of the lid and extends normally backward from the lower side of the bearing barrel of the lid substantially parallel with the plane of the lid and far enough to extend well under the lower side of the bearing barrel of the fixed portion of the cover when the lid is closed, as shown in Fig. 2.

In the normal operation of the hinge thus described, when the lid is opened by rotatin it upward and backward, the bearing barrel of the lid first rotates on the forward pintle until the lid has reached an upright position, and in so doing the side portions 9 of the hinged end of the lid enter the recesses 21 between the arms of the yokes which connect the ends of the pintles, and the contact of these edges with the forward arms of the yokes constitutes a stop which prevents a further rotation of the lid on the forward pintle, which relation of the parts is shown in Fig. 3. A further backward movement of the lid causes the pintle 17 to rotate in the bearing barrel of the fixed part of the cover, which rotation continues until the lid has been laid over flat on the fixed cover, and in so doing the arms of the yoke embrace the side portions 6 of the free end of the fixed cover, which relation of the parts is shown in Fig. 1.

In the normal operation of the hinge, when the lid is closed by rotating it upward and forward, the bearing barrel of the lid first rotates on the pintle which is journaled therein until the lid is brought to an upright position whereupon the tongue on its hinged end strikes the bearing barrel of the fixed cover, which stops the lid against further rotation on its pintle, which relation of the parts is shown in Fig. 4 whereupon a further forward other pintle 'with the adjoining edge of the fixed cover,

which relation of the parts is shown in F ig. 2. The cover parts and the hinge are so proportioned and arranged that the bearing barrels formed on the presented edges of the cover parts are near together but do not touch each other, and it is evident, from the normal operation of the hinge thus described, that the barrel bearings will be positivel r held apart by the abutment of the side portions of the hinge-edge of the lid yokes when the same is being opened, and by the abutment of the lid tongue against the fixed hearing when the lid is being closed. It is furthermore evident that it is not essential that the side portions of the adjacent edges of the cover portions should be so shaped as to enter between the arms of the yoke when the lip is opened, and consequently it is not essential that the yokes connecting the ends of the pintles shall be bent to be on the inner sides thereof, although this particular form of the construction is preferred for the reason that the side portions of the adjacent edges of the cover portions can thereby be shaped to come closer together when the lid is closed.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. A hinge for the fixed and lid parts of a flat box cover comprising hearings on the middle portions of the hinge-edges of the cover parts, parallel pintles journaled in the bearings, U-shaped yokes connecting the ends of the pintles and located on the inner side thereof, and a tongue on the lid adapted to abut the inner side of the fixed bearing when the lid is closed to aline the cover parts, the side portions of the hinge-edges of the cover parts being adapted to enter between the yoke arms when the lid is opened.

2. A hinge for the fixed and lid parts of a flat box cover including hearings on the middle portions of the hinge-edges of the cover parts, parallel pintles journaled in the bearings, U-shaped yokes connecting the ends of the pintles and located on the inner side thereof, and means for alining the cover parts when the lid is closed, the side portions of the hinge-edges of the cover parts being adapted to enter between the yoke arms when the lid is opened.

3. A hinge for the fixed and lid parts of a fiat box cover including bearings on the middle portions of the hinge-edges of the cover parts, parallel pintles journaled in the bearings, and U-shaped yokes connecting the ends of the pintles and located on the inner side thereof, the side portions of the hinge-edges of the cover parts being adapted to enter between the yoke arms when the lid is opened.

4. A hinge for the fixed and lid parts of a flatbox cover including hearings on the mid- 5 dle portons of the hinge-edges of the cover parts, parallel pintles journeled in the bearings, and yokes connecting the ends of the pintles and deflected to the inner side thereof,

the side portions of the hinge-edges ofthe 10 cover Iparts being adapted to enter between p the yo e-erms when the lid is opened.

5. A hinge for the fixed and lid parts of a flat box cover including hearings on the hinge-end portions of the cover parts, parallel pintles journaled in the bearings, and 15 yokes connecting the ends of the pintles and deflected to the inner side thereof.

AUGUSTUS B. GONSER.

Witnesses HARRY FREASE, JosEPH FREASE; 

